Missing Football Coach’s Wife Wanted on Child Pornography Charges Didn’t Help Him Escape: Lawyer

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• An attorney for the family of wanted Virginia high school football coach Travis Turner said in a statement this week that Turner’s wife did not help him run from police.

• Turner was last seen by his wife on November 20, a day before she reported him missing to police.

• Five days after his disappearance, Virginia State Police announced 10 charges against Turner related to possession of child pornography and using a computer to solicit minors.

An attorney for the family of missing high school football coach Travis Turner said this week that the Virginia fugitive’s wife was not helping him escape when he went missing late last month.

Turner, 46, was last seen on Nov. 20, less than a week before Virginia State Police announced 10 warrants for his arrest on five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor.

“His wife was not helping him escape, she was asking for help to find him,” said the family’s lawyer Adrian Collins in a statement to the media, reported by the local WCYB.

“The family of Travis Turner continues to cooperate with law enforcement efforts to locate Travis,” Collins continued in his statement. “Their homes and properties were searched several times, with their consent.”

The family’s lawyer added: “While the family’s last contact with Travis causes them to have great concern for his well-being, they hold out hope that he will be found and given the opportunity to defend himself in a court of law.”

A spokesman for the Virginia State Police Department would not comment when PEOPLE asked them about the investigators’ interest in Turner’s wife.

“There are no updates to share at this time,” the state police spokesman said. “Search efforts are ongoing with the assistance of the Marshals Service and the FBI. We are still asking for the public’s help in providing any information that may lead to Turner’s whereabouts.”

Earlier this week, PEOPLE reported that Turner’s wife allegedly told police that she last saw her husband walking in the woods near their home in Appalachia, Va., on Nov. 20, a day before she officially reported him missing to local authorities.

Turner’s disappearance came just days before his son’s undefeated Union High School football team began the Virginia state playoffs, sending shockwaves through the local community as questions swirled about his whereabouts.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for crime news, coverage of ongoing trials and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

In his statement this week, Collins included a “recap with some additional details” about what the Turner family says happened, according to WCYB.

“Travis was last seen by some of his family walking in the local woods near his home with a firearm,” Collins reiterated in his statement on behalf of the family. “This was something he had done several times over the years. When he did not return to his home that evening, his wife, out of concern, requested help from law enforcement. As directed, she filed a missing person’s report the next day with the Virginia State Police.”

Collins added that Turner’s wife’s concerns were heightened by the following facts: Travis’ car and keys were left at home. Travis wore contact lenses during the day and glasses at night. Travis’ contact lens supplies and glasses were left at home. Travis’ wallet, license, cash, and all of its contents were left in the home.

“It’s not like Travis disappears or stays away from home,” Collins said, noting that “criminal charges were not brought against Travis until days after he failed to return home.”

The family’s attorney also included a request to Turner: “If Travis has the ability and is able to respond to the wishes of his family; your wife and children are in distress,” Collins said. “Leslie is appealing for you to come home and face the allegations by defending yourself in a court of law. Don’t let your family fight this battle without you. They love and miss you. They want you to know that they are your support.”

PEOPLE reached out to Collins several times this week for more information but had not heard back as of Thursday, Dec. 4.

Turner is now considered a fugitive by Virginia State Police, according to reports from ABC News, WCYB and WJHL, as authorities continue to search for him this week.

Read the original article on People